


The castle in the forest

by princessofthieves



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Link is the beast, M/M, Sidlink Week, Sort Of, a quick beauty and the beast AU, it'll be explained during the story., sort of again since he'll look normal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:13:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27835069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessofthieves/pseuds/princessofthieves
Summary: Sidon has a wish and he will see it granted, no matter how many trials he'll have to face.
Relationships: Link/Prince Sidon
Comments: 19
Kudos: 137





	1. Size Difference

**Author's Note:**

> A little story for the Sidlink Week on tumblr. I couldn't include the prompt 'size difference' too well but I'll try to do better with the next ones!

Sidon didn’t know how long he spent wandering through the forest.

When he decided to listen to the local legends of a castle where all wishes could be granted, the man didn’t expect to spend hours lost in the mist between damp trees covered in moss and snails. He could feel his feet sinking just slightly at every step and every time he needed to support himself against the bark of a tree he had to clean his own hands.

This was disgusting, unpleasant, scary… and it was his only hope. 

His sister was sick, doctors gave up trying to save her life, and Sidon went from trusting medical knowledge to listening to fairy tales in her name. Stories told of a lost castle where the Lord tested people with trials -and if you could beat him he’d let you ask for anything- were popular in the area, in what was a desperate attempt to save Mipha he decided to see if there was any truth in them.

Now he was starting to feel like an idiot.

The air was thick and humid, filled with a hearty smell that was almost unpleasant to his nostrils, and the backpack where he put all his things was now feeling heavy on his shoulders. What if, like reason suggested, there was no castle anywhere and all the people who disappeared looking for it just got lost in the forest like he did?

After all, he couldn’t see anything between the tall trees as he approached from a nearby hill, even if he blamed the thick mist for it and decided to proceed further. 

He had supplies for three days worth of traveling, he had a dagger and a gun for self defense, Sidon could take wasting at least a day in there. It was creepy and the humidity was seeping in his bones, the cold was unpleasant, but he had chalk to mark his path and a compass in case of necessity, there was no need to panic.

The man sighed, adjusting the long, curly ponytail, his hair sticking to his skin and getting everywhere. Castle or not castle he was supposed to proceed further, if anything happened it couldn’t be so hard to backtrack out of there, right? 

Sidon almost slipped on a patch of grass and leaves and let out a groan. What was he even thinking? But when the reasonable methods to help his sister failed, that only left room to crazy things like that. 

He needed his sister, he had to see her get better, nothing was too crazy in Mipha’s name.

“ _ Is that why you’re here _ ?”

Sidon blinked. Did he just hear voices? He stopped to look around but couldn’t see anyone. Were his tired mind and the darkness starting to play tricks on him? He raised the lantern up, but that didn’t help at all.   
  
“Hello?”   
  
No reply came, what he started hearing instead was the gentle chiming of bells in the distance. What… how? Did he actually find something? Sidon almost tripped in an unearthed tree root while proceeding, golden eyes squinting as he tried to look forward. 

For a long moment he couldn’t see anything in the mist, he stumbled forward almost like a blind man trying to find his path, then Sidon saw it: a light, in the distance. His heart started racing as he approached and an opening in the woods finally appeared. 

He gasped as the mist magically parted in front of him, allowing the man to see a large white castle in front of himself. At the very first glance, before he had a full view, it felt almost like it was old and dilapidated, but as soon as he could actually see it… it didn’t even feel that old? It stood there as if it had been summoned from a child’s storybook, the white stones it was made of boldly contrasting with the dark forest it was surrounded by.

He stood in the garden, not too distant from a dilapidated fountain, and everything around him felt… abandoned? How long since that area saw a gardener? Thorns were wrapping themselves around everything and weeds were growing in uneven patches all over the place. 

Still, any consideration he had about the castle or the green areas surrounding it? He immediately stopped caring about them as creatures he had never seen before started appearing all over the place, like they had been playing hide and seek up to that point and were finally coming clear.

“What…”

Little gnomes of sort made of wood and with a leaf as a mask in front of their faces, that’s what he was looking at, wasn’t it? If he wasn’t too determined to find a cure for Mipha he would have turned around to run away.   
  
“Ya ah ah! You found us!” one of them chimed in, shaking its short arms. 

“Or, well, we let you find us, shakala!” giggled another not too distant.

At least they didn’t feel… hostile? Sidon forced himself to calm down, he was there looking for a wish-granting sorcerer or something, it wasn’t too weird if he had familiars of sort… right? Right. No, it was completely insane, but at that point he couldn’t give up.

Sidon stepped further, trying not to step too close to any of those little monsters, and lifted his gaze up to a balcony only when a shadow appeared above him, apparently looking down in his direction. With the mist still dissipating it was hard to see the figure, but it was probably humanoid.

“Yah ah ah! Speak, hylian! Speak! Tell us why you’re here!” one of the creatures yelled, almost appearing into existence in front of him. That was… it was time, huh? 

Sidon took a deep breath, stepping back and looking up at the imposing figure above him. Legends were clear about one thing, the owner of the castle was the one who had the power to grant people’s wishes, he couldn’t step back now when he finally found… something.

“Master of the castle, I am here to challenge you to your trials!” he yelled looking up to the balcony, he could barely make out his silhouette. Long hair, perhaps? and the Lord of the castle was wearing a cape of sort, probably, since all Sidon could see on that balcony was an indistinct, imposing figure.

The strange wooden creatures laughed and the main gate opened for Sidon as the other stepped back inside. Was… that an invitation? He took another deep breath before stepping inside, his mind battling his urge to flee.

Inside the building felt even older than the outside: the main hall was incredibly fancy but covered in dust, the long red carpets were covered in dark stains and the twin stairs that lead up had countless spider webs decorating them. Without electricity, only some candles were offering a flickering light, it only added a creep factor as more creatures showed themselves from behind shelves and corners.

What in the name of Hylia even were those… things? 

It didn’t matter when his attention was stolen by the figure from before appearing upstairs and finally offering Sidon a good view of himself. The master of the house was… a woman? A man? It was hard to tell when this person had the longest blonde hair Sidon had ever seen, straight golden locks that almost reached his feet, features that resembled those of a young lady and the whole body hidden under a large green cloak. 

All he could see were their blue eyes and how… small they were. The more this person approached, the more it was evident they barely reached Sidon’s torso, they went from intimidating to… almost cute in two seconds flat, but that hardly mattered when he felt in danger.   
  
“Ya ha ah! That’s it!”   
  
“Yo ho ho! You’re here for the trials!”   
  
The sound of bells chimed all around there as the little creatures started dancing, the master of the house only raised up their chin to look at Sidon with disdain. So this person didn’t like to be bothered, huh? He gulped, suddenly feeling threatened by just their presence.   


No, he wasn’t going to let someone stop him just because they had a threatening aura, not when he already came so far in seeking a solution for Mipha’s illness.   
  
“Master of the House…” Sidon started, straightening his back and adjusting his jacket. “I am here to challenge you at your game. I have a request and I’m ready to face any trial you’ll have for me in order to get my wish granted.”   
  
Silence. The other only raised an eyebrow looking up in his direction. The creatures laughed to the point one of them rolled on the floor holding its little stomach. What was so fun? They were clearly making fun of him, but why?   
  
“Perhaps many failed before.” the man dared to continue, “Yet I am confident I have the needed cards to at least attempt this task. Please, let me try!”

Still no reply, Sidon couldn’t tell if the master seemed more confused or irritated at that point, probably a mix of both. They still had to say a single word. 

“We accept.”   
  
“We accept!”   
  
“Ya ha ha!”   
  
It was the creatures around them that started jumping around them, Sidon instinctively took a step back when one of them tried to reach for his leg.   
  
“This will be fun! You better be ready to do your best.”   
  
“It’s been decades since our last guest.”   
  
“Shakala, we shall prepare the trials!”   
  
“Yes! Yes yes! We welcome you with our biggest smiles! ”   
  
“Go get your room, make yourself comfortable, we’re going to treat you well!”   
  
“Because soon you’ll be in hell!”

With those words, the creatures started scattering around, leaving the master of the house and Sidon alone, they still had the same expression of someone who accidentally bit a lemon. With a sigh the person in the green cloak turned around, simply offering the red headed man a gesture to invite them to follow. 

That was it, there was no turning back. Sidon took a deep breath, stepping after the other up the stairs and passing through some dusty corridors barely lit with candles. He was almost sure paintings had been removed from the walls, everything felt incredibly empty, but Sidon wasn’t in the mood to study or explore the castle, not now. He merely followed the other until they stopped in front of a small wooden door.   
  
They pushed the door open, nodding their head in the room’s direction and Sidon quickly realized it was where he was supposed to stay: it was a relatively clean bedroom with a large bed, a wardrobe, a fireplace and a chest where he was probably supposed to keep his things. It… was a bit cleaner than the rest, at least.    
  
“Excuse me, but-”   
  
As soon as he turned in the door’s direction, he realized he was now alone. The master, whoever they were, was now gone. Sidon sighed, placing his backpack down and reevaluating all his choices in life that led him there. They were going to prepare trials for him, huh? So he was just supposed to wait until the others were ready, he could do that.    
  
He stepped further, looking at the bed, everything looked incredibly dated and uncomfortable but after two days spent on the ground he wasn’t going to be too picky. They even left him a pajama of sort, definitely too short for him, and… a snack? He could see some horrible looking squares of bread that looked absolutely unappetizing. Master and his creatures didn't know how to clean, were incredibly short and clearly didn't know how to cook... fantastic, he was now in the house of a perfect host.

Oh, well… for now he was going to focus on resting for the day, he still had supplies after all, he just had to be ready for whatever was going to follow.


	2. Cultural Mishaps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 of the Sidlink week: Cultural Mishaps
> 
> I want to thank Umbreonix for being my beta for this chapter!

The moment Sidon woke up in the morning, the castle was looking like a completely different place. Gone were the dusty chandeliers and the uncomfortable blankets, everything seemed now to rightfully belong to the modern times: there was an electric lamp, for a start, everything felt softer and he could see a large radio where the chest used to be.

“What…”   
  
Was he moved during the night? He got up on his feet only to realize the window still faced the same depressing part of the forest and his belongings were placed in the same way he left them. Did… the castle simply change for him? Why? How? That made no sense! Still everything abandoned the almost medieval look of the night before and… well, it was full 1920! Someone even left him proper warm pants, a shirt and a coat.   
  
Wasn’t he supposed to be an unwanted guest there for the trials? The man decided to stay in the clothes he was wearing when he arrived there and step outside of his door, not bothering to inspect the changes in his room any further. He got it, this place had magic, the simple fact it had strange, dancing monsters all around was enough to know that, but it still felt unnatural how things morphed while he was resting.    
  
Hylia, what did he get himself into?   
  
Even the hallways were different, now it felt like walking in an incredibly fancy club he sometimes saw on the newspapers, those places where only the elite could go. Not somewhere a humble florist would ever find themselves a guest

He was looking at a beautiful picture of a lake, even if it missed the colors (Of course it did, pictures couldn’t capture those) it was as detailed as a painting, when steps behind him alerted Sidon of someone else’s presence. There could only be one person in that place...

“Oh.” Sidon immediately turned, finding himself looking down to the house’s master who, unlike the rest of the house, didn’t change at all. “Good morning.”   
  
No reply. The other simply turned around and the man took it as his cue to follow again.    
  
“It’s incredible what you did to this place.” He dared to attempt another conversation. “Some people believe in magic, but I had to admit I was skeptical. It’s mostly desperation that convinced me to try to find this place.”   
  
He could see his host’s ears twitch, like they were paying attention to what was being said, but there still were no replies coming from them. 

“Huh…” No, he wasn’t going to simply give up that easily. “You know, I had no opportunity to properly introduce myself-” the man kept following them downstairs. “My name is Sidon Zora, I work as a florist in New Hyrule, and I’m here because I’d like to-”   
  
A sigh interrupted him as the master stopped, opening a door for him and showing Sidon a dining table with a huge breakfast prepared on it.   
  
“That’s… unexpected. But may I at least have your name?”   
  
Still no reply, the other simply tapped their foot on the ground, pointed at the food and walked away. That person didn’t really talk, did they? Sidon sighed, approaching the table and taking a seat. If he was supposed to live there, even if only temporarily, he could at least accept their food.

  
  
\- - -

  
  
The first few trials had been… interesting. Sidon was now wearing a special ring that allowed him to control magnetic fields around metallic objects and the trials were more like… giant puzzles, at least so far. No monsters, no enemies, the most dangerous thing he had to face was the risk of a metallic door falling on his head.

Overall? He was optimistic. 

The Koroks, that was how they referred to themselves, always sounded incredibly amused by his progress and already told him there were more special powers to unlock, he just needed to be patient.To be honest, those creatures creeped the hell out of him, but they also were the only ones who accepted to speak with him. The master of the castle? The person the Koroks called Master Link? They hadn’t uttered a single word.   
  
Sometimes they arrived to bring Sidon to a location, but were otherwise silent. It was… so weird. For a person that in the legends was described as a cold and cruel entity, Link was merely distant and uninterested in Sidon’s fate. It wouldn’t have mattered too much if Sidon wasn’t a social person , but he was and the company of the Koroks was far from the best, he just hoped to have a formal exchange with the master but… no, it wasn’t going to happen.   
  
Speaking of them, Sidon found it interesting how often he found Link messing around with items of the florist’s era and apparently struggling to understand them. If they were the one who changed the castle, they would have known how to get a radio to work… right? Or how to turn on an oven.

All he could see in Link was confusion, even if the other immediately assumed a distant and serious pose whenever they realized not to be alone Something was off, but Sidon couldn’t say what.   
  
Oh, well, he had bigger problems.

  
  
\- - -

_   
  
“Ya ha ha!”   
  
“Boom boom boom!” _   
  
Learning how to summon bombs with his rings had been… an experience. The bombs were timed and Sidon almost managed to blast one in his face while trying to shoot it from a small cannon to complete one of the puzzles.   
  
He was tired, still nervous about it and still creeped by the Koroks.   
  
_ “Shakalaka, two of four!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “So you still have more.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “This is still so easy and fun!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “There will be pain before you’re done!” _ _   
_   
Case in point. Those were hardly friendly creatures despite the goofy appearance and the loving sound of bells that always accompanied their presence. When one accidentally dropped its mask, Sidon even realized they had no real face, the bark just continued without a hole for a mouth or eyes.The master of the castle certainly loved to surround themselves with scary things.

Sidon decided to listen to the grumbles of his stomach and head toward the kitchen. Hopefully there still was some Jello salad, things appeared and disappeared all the time. Entering it, he found himself staring at the castle’s owner who was clearly still struggling with his recent 'upgrades'. Not only had they left the refrigerator entirely open, they also scattered cooking utensils all over the place and were now messing around with the oven, keeping one hand inside as it started to warm

“I wouldn’t keep my hand there unless you really want to hurt yourself.”   
  
Much to the florist’s surprise, the owner literally jumped away from the oven, immediately turning in his direction with the face of someone who had been found stealing the queen’s jewelry. What in the name of… perhaps, despite his magical powers, the owner didn’t really know how the castle changed itself. 

“It’s an oven, you set it for max temperature, it’s going to be incredibly hot in a couple of minutes.” he commented, stepping forward and turning everything off, no sense in trying to accidentally burn the place down. “With all the respect, perhaps you should consider learning about the things you will summon before completely changing your house.”   
  
He wasn’t sounding too friendly, perhaps, but even Sidon was starting to get fed up with Link’s silence and their attitude to ignore anything that was… getting incredibly frustrating. He was a simple man who enjoyed good company more than anything else in life, spending time with friends was the best part of every single day and Sidon loved to listen to people who told him why they needed flowers… but, no, now he was stuck with a mute of a- wait.   
  
“Wait…” He frowned, turning in the owner’s direction and realizing they were trying to sneak away once more. “Wait one second.” Did he just manage to be incredibly rude by accident? The owner didn’t speak a single word since he arrived, what if it was because they couldn’t?   
  
“Are you… can you speak? Please, at least tell me that.”   
  
No reply again, Link was merely staring at him with the usual frown. That wasn’t an answer, perhaps they just really didn’t want to speak with him… perhaps they expected him to fail and didn’t want to befriend someone who was potentially already lost.   
  
Oh, Link was going to be surprised, because Sidon had no intention of failing, his sister’s life depended on his success.

“Alright, I understand, you must think I’m a lost cause, but trust me when I say I will complete your trials and succeed, nothing will stop me.”   


Not a single word escaped their lips, they just had that vaguely confused expression once more, almost like they couldn’t understand at all what was being said.   
  
Wait, again…   
  
Sidon didn’t even know why he didn’t consider it sooner, but he immediately turned toward the table and grabbed the first fruit from the basket in the middle.   
  
“This is a banana. Ba. Na. Na.” He said, pointing at it. It was a fancy fruit, still a bit expensive, and delicious cooked with ham and cheese, perhaps he could ask the koroks to prepare it for both of them? He still had yet to share a single meal with the owner of the place.   
  
Link frowned, but said nothing.   
  
Okay, perhaps it was just the wrong fruit, after all bananas were a recent addition to everyone’s kitchens. He turned once more, grabbing an apple instead. That was a common fruit, wasn’t it? It had been around for centuries all around the world.   
  
“Apple.” he pointed at the red fruit and repeated the word a couple of times.   
  
The confusion on Link’s face changed to surprise, then, after some hesitation, they reached for another apple in the basket, holding it up. 

“Malum."   
  
It was less than a whisper, but that was the first word that left Link’s lips. Sidon’s eyes widened, this whole time the other didn’t understand a single word that was being said, did they? The Koroks were probably keeping him informed of what was going on and translating what was necessary but those idle chats were probably being lost to Link.   
  
For Hylia’s sake, they were speaking different languages…

The florist turned around, this time grabbing a pear and holding it up before saying its name. Link did the same and, instead of saying the same word, they whispered ‘pirum’.    
  
That wasn’t unwillingness to communicate, it was the inability to do so. that immediately changed, well, everything. Without words, Sidon moved a chair and pointed at it, inviting the other to sit down. Perhaps they could start with simple words, build up a dictionary of sorts, and move up from there, Now that things were different, he was thrilled by the idea of finding some kind of common ground.    
  
“Please.” 

Even if Link couldn’t understand him, after hesitating they accepted the seat and Sidon immediately moved to the chair in front of them. He was the friendliest guy of his block, and this wasn’t his first time bridging the gap with neighbors and patrons who spoke different languages… he got this. 

\- - -

  
  


The master of the house couldn't read or write, that had been one of the most surprising things. When they moved to the immense library that Sidon discovered while wandering that place and offered them pen and paper... all Link did was stare. Letters didn't seem to make sense to them, when Sidon tried to write they only sketched drawings with uncertain hands. It was almost like they never held a pen before.

It took them time, but they did find common ground in simple drawings, even if the florist had to admit Link had almost no skill for that, and the man braced himself for the new, unexpected challenge. Learning how to communicate with this little person was going to be hard, but he had never been one to give up so easily. 

He was ready, he had experience and… he felt lonely in this castle.

Sidon was more than willing to try and learn what he could to have at least a basic conversation with the master of the castle and, much to his surprise, apparently the other felt the same way.


	3. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 : Scars
> 
> Thanks to Unbreonix for beta reading the first half!

Surprisingly enough, Link was actually nice company now that they had an awkward way to communicate to each other. They pointed at items, gestured, used paper to sketch things, and even if deep conversation between them was out of question… he was starting to understand a bit more this mysterious owner of the place.

Link was curious, ready to learn, and he didn’t dislike having company, they were just… probably tired of not being able to understand those who visited, assuming there had been visitors in a while. They looked elegant and pretty, an androginous mix of masculine and feminine traits that didn’t allow Sidon to assign them a gender, and they seemed very young but there was something in their movements and in their persona that suggested otherwise.

Not to mention they spoke Latin, a dead language. Yes, it took Sidon a good moment to recognize the vaguely familiar sound from classes he almost forgot about, but he was rather sure the other used a less formal version of the latin he studied at school. Confirmation came later when he tried to say the rosă-rosae declension and their eyes lit up. Too bad it was as far as the florist remembered, but perhaps in the library there was something that could help with it, he couldn’t allow himself not to be optimistic about it.   
  
With the owner now showing interest in what Sidon had to say, he knew they could slowly build a bridge between them. Between gestures and onomatopoeias, the man managed to explain them the refrigerator had to stay close to keep it cold. He also realized Link seemed overly curious about colorful foods, but overall disgusted by the single sight of jello.

“Too bad for you, friend, you don’t know what you’re missing out.”   
  


Spaghetti-O jello with wursts made by Mipha was the best, the two siblings loved having access to a good variety of foods and playing with molds in the kitchen. Huh, he wondered what Link used to eat before Sidon moved in and they changed the castle to welcome him. Sidon also managed to explain to Link the oven was to cook things and, exactly like the stove, there was danger in touching too much without knowing what things were.

Turns out Link at least enjoyed bananas, even if mixing them with ham, mayo or anything else only made them frown. No Banana-roll Salad for them, apparently. Most of the things in the pantry seemed new for Link, even the bread somehow managed to make them raise an eyebrow, and it was fun to see them try out new things.

It didn’t improve much how many problems they had in speaking to each other, but at least now Sidon knew it was something they could work on.

\- - -

The Koroks were right, things had become significantly harder in the small temples where he faced his challenges. 

Sidon's next day was spent split into halves between his time with Link and working on his next trail. The two activities being so different it gave him near-whiplash. In the morning Sidon was showing Link how a Radio worked, it was cute how the other kept searching around the device to try and understand where the music was coming from, but then the afternoon came he was thrown in a cold place where he was forced to face… weird machines?

He didn’t even know how to call those weird… metallic spiders he encountered deep inside. The first one was broken, collapsed against a pillar, but the second one had strange weapons made of light and it was ready to fight.    
  
Sidon, not even having a weapon, barely managed to escape it using the ring’s ice-creating properties to run away, but not without injuring himself first. One of those light blades, that seemed to come straight up from a futuristic novel, managed to tear his skin open and leave him wounded.

The florist didn’t even know how, with an open gash to his side, he managed to walk back through the garden and drag himself in the main hall, he just blacked out when he felt relatively safe and the last thing he saw was the floor quickly approaching before closing his eyes.

The moment he reopened them, his side hurt even more and he felt cold seeping through his bones. He was laying on a bed, but the room reminded him a lot more of the palace as it was when he arrived, not how it became after the first night. Walls were covered in scratches, most pieces of furniture had been smashed to pieces and- oh.

He wasn’t in a bed alone, Link was resting not too distant from him. The mattress was large enough for two people and the master of the house was curled as distant as possible from him, sleeping with a knife in hand. What was happening? 

His attempt to get up was cut short by a sharp stabbing pain to his side and Sidon realized why he was feeling cold: his shirt had been removed and… the master covered his wound with bandages? No, not just that, there was a needle and some thread on the night table, he probably sutured his wound… or at least attempted to. 

Another attempt to move alerted Link who bolted up, knife in hand and ready to fight. They weren’t even looking for Sidon, they were fully focused on the room’s main door for a couple of seconds before relaxing and letting out a deep sigh.   
  
Was there something else he had to fear in that place? And why was the person who was supposed to be in charge of that place… resting on guard like that? With no proper words to question Link, Sidon settled for one of the few things he still remembered from his latin classes.   
  
“Gratias.”

That was thank you, right? Unless it was in spanish, Sidon wasn’t too sure about that. Link sighed again and dragged a chair to the bedside, sitting next to Sidon.   
  
“Gratias Tibi fa.”

That was the owner’s whispered correction, Sidon didn’t know why they spoke in whispers and at the moment he didn’t care. He fainted at the door and now he was more or less okay, just incredibly cold and slightly in pain if he didn’t try to move, whatever the other did worked.   


“Gratias Tibi fa.” Sidon repeated, nodding. He wasn’t going to remember it, probably. 

After a long moment of silence between them, the florist pointed at his side, then at the needle and finally at the master, Link nodded in reply, making a face and lifting up Sidon’s shirt that was completely drenched in dry blood.

“Oh…” Now that explained why the other took it off. it was too dirty to be kept on. Goodness, he was going to get an ugly scar there, wasn’t it? And that while hoping he wasn’t going to get any bad infection, too. “That bad, huh?”   
  
A shrug from the other let him know Link had no idea what he just asked, and that was okay. Sidon closed his eyes for a moment before pointing a finger in the master’s direction.  _ You _ . That was the first word and Link raised an eyebrow. Sidon proceeded to pretend to check a book in a signal both of them more or less agreed upon.  _ Know _ . Finally he pointed at the needles, trying to ask Link if they knew what they were doing when they took care of him.   
  
They squinted in Sidon’s direction, before nodding and, after some hesitation pushing their cloak away, showing their long green robe’s sleeve. There was a moment of silence as the other reached for the fabric and pulled it up, revealing some large marks on their skins. Sidon’s eyes widened, while Link’s face and hands were almost immaculate, there were countless scars on his arm and the pale skin left space to a brownish mess where the other got hurt.   
  
“Mhm… _hede_?”   
  
Hede? Oh,  _ here _ . The florist always said that while pointing at new things, but at the moment he could barely pay attention to the fact the other was also trying to learn some of his words. Most scars were messy, with uneven borders, but one had been sutured relatively well. Link touched it once more, then brought his finger to Sidon’s side. That… was how he expected his wound to look like once it healed, huh? He could live with that.   
  
What Sidon wanted to ask was why Link helped him, considering they were supposed to be the one throwing him in those hellish trials… Why were they worrying? 

“I wish we could speak the same language, you know?”   
  
Link tilted their head, blinking before sighing and replying with something Sidon completely failed to understand. Now the florist had bigger worries than that, how was he even supposed to pass that horrible machine blocking his path? If only he had a way to ask Link more about that kind of stuff…

A single touch from those weapons left him with a deep cut that by some miracle wasn’t hurting too much (Perhaps the master of the house put something on the cut instead of just closing it?) and he barely escaped a much worse fate. What if he truly died there? Who was going to help Mipha? He already didn’t know how much time his sister had and the Koroks only allowed him to enter the shrine once every day, even if he succeeded… Was it going to be enough?   
  
He had been incredibly optimistic since he stepped in the castle, now Sidon didn’t feel as confident about his chances.

They both spent some time in quiet silence, Link gently rocking themselves on their chair and Sidon just staring at the ceiling, this peace interrupted only when the man started to shiver for the cold. Link tapped his shoulder, getting the florist’s attention.

“Frigus-”

They kept their conversations, the verbal part of them, to single words and Sidon could only assume they were asking if he was cold. He relied with a nod and, like Link was aware how little his blankets covered, they took off their cloak to cover Sidon.

Huh… it was warm and had a weird but pleasant smell of moss and forest, it reminded Sidon of wild and wooden compositions he made for autumn fairs. It was awkwardly comfortable and, before Sidon could worry too much (Or attempt to ask Link what he was ready to fight just a moment before), he drifted back to sleep.


	4. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: dreams

“Wake up, Sidon! Do you want to be late for work?

It was the little things that made Sidon’s life worth living. He shared his house with his sister Mipha since his parents passed away and the two didn’t have much, perhaps, but were happy. It was delightful waking up to the smell of coffee and having Mipha in the kitchen, it was nice to take care of his mother’s flower shop as his sister continued her studies, but… getting out of bed in the morning was his personal hell.

Sidon rolled over in the bed, but instead of simply rolling over his pillow he found himself holding his side in pain for a couple of seconds (Why? Did he sleep in the wrong position?) and after a blink he was back in his shop.

Oh, he loved it there. Perhaps it wasn’t what he dreamed to do in his life, but it was a job and pretending it was all he ever wanted… well, Sidon was proud of supporting his sister as best as he could.   
  
Long, nimble fingers played with roses and their long stems, avoiding thorns and adjusting the leaves in the bouquet Sidon was working on. It was a simple work, but it required time and patience, especially considering how some people could be overly specific and picky with their requests. Not to mention many asked him to say things with the ‘secret language of flowers’, like he was some kind of secret agent who knew how to insert hidden codes between a petunia and a gerbera.   
  
He merely knew what looked nice together and a few flower meanings here and there, that had to suffice.

Now, what was the moss for? He couldn’t quite remember but now he was decorating a log covered in it with mushrooms, fallen leaves and long, golden locks he kept weaving in little braids. It all felt familiar in a strange, unnerving way… but work was work, right?

It was getting strangely cold in the room and, after making sure he was alone in the back of his shop, Sidon moved into the backroom to look for his coat. All he could find was a shirt stained with blood and, realizing it wasn’t going to warm him up, Sidon tossed it away. A cloak would have been much better, probably, not that he ever had one.

He informed the mist in the little apartment it wasn’t welcome inside and tried to return to his work. Sidon needed to… he needed to… finish? It was really important he completed his current request in his sister’s name. Why? He wasn’t too sure but it made sense anyway.

Sidon returned to his log, now struggling avoiding the little metallic spiders that covered every inch of its bark. They were so annoying and dangerous, just touching them could have been dangerous, but he had to weave his sister’s red, curly locks in place. Beautiful, curly hair that kept slipping between his fingers… that was no good, he needed to keep the situation in control or he was never going to see his sister again.

With a sob, he found himself holding the log with all his strength, his fingers digging deep in the moss cushion and water dripping on the floor. 

He couldn’t finish it, it was too dangerous, he just wanted out of there.  
  
“Please, I can’t do this. I want to think of better days.”   
  
And like answering to his request, his surroundings changed. He had never seen a street like that, everything felt old and dated: People were selling food in the streets in costume, like it was a medieval fair, with no concern about basic hygiene or keeping their meat cold.

The stone paved floor of the street was slightly covered in dirt, houses were small and with hardly any decoration… Perhaps he needed to deliver his work to someone during an historical re-enactment? Who knew, he wasn’t even carrying anything anymore, he was merely… walking, warm and wrapped in a cloak that wasn’t his.

Time to ask for indications, right? He approached a short, blonde man who wasn’t really doing anything beside petting a horse.

“Excuse me?

The other didn’t even turn, he only kept whispering gentle words to the animal, something Sidon couldn’t quite understand. Was he a foreigner visiting the city? No, Sidon was the one out of place, he probably picked the wrong street, everyone was talking the blonde man’s same language.

A cheerful, loving voice caught the horse lover man’s attention and he immediately smiled turning around, blue eyes twinkling with mirth and his lips curved into a warm smile. Why was he so… familiar?

It didn’t matter, that man wasn’t even looking in Sidon’s direction, his attention was completely on the red haired maiden who just joined him. A glance in their direction was enough to tell the two were in love, the florist didn’t need to understand what they were saying to recognize. 

He had the confirmation when they moved inside a church (or did the church move around them?) and the two were being celebrated as newlywed. Even if they didn’t seem too own too much, she was beautiful in a simple pale dress. Him? All he had was a basic set of clothes, but he was beaming with joy.

All was good in life… until it wasn’t.

Sidon didn’t know exactly how, but there was almost a jump between the joys of married life and children to… whatever that was. The blonde man was being restrained by two guards against the floor and he was furiously yelling to the king. Sidon could feel his anger, his desperation, he had been summoned for a duty but he couldn’t accept, not after what the goddess did to _her_.

Oh, no, she was gone. Their kids had also been taken away, the blonde man was now alone and he was refusing to embrace his fate. There was too much anger, too much frustration in him. While Sidon couldn’t understand most of their words, the king’s judgement was clear.

“Feed him to the forest.”

The man’s screams were of both horror and rage, but there was nothing he could do as stronger guards were taking him away. The next thing Sidon knew they were sitting on a balcony in a strange castle in the middle of a forest. The man’s hair started to grow and he looked absolutely apathetic as someone below was yelling in his direction, words neither Sidon or his companion could understand. 

That person was hostile and demanding, that was all they needed to know, and the blonde person was growing tired of that. It kept happening, people never stopped visiting, but all they wanted was to be left alone. What was even the point when this person was just going to die?  
  
They never listened, how could without speaking a common language, and they always rushed things for the sake of glory or whatever they were seeking… and that was their mistake. Sidon and the blonde person didn’t even move when that person returned after a trial, a wound open in their leg and another on the opposite arm.   
  
They were doomed.   
  
As soon as they fainted, the Koroks started approaching and other creatures crawled from the forest: there were giant butterflies with the most stunning colors the florist had ever seen, other walking plants with wide mouths… Sidon closed his eyes as soon as the creatures landed on that person and when he reopened them there was only a skeleton left.

They were attracted by the smell of blood… weren’t they? It was a good thing Sidon had no wounds, it would have been difficult keeping himself safe otherwise. Wait, was he… okay? Weird, for a moment he felt like panicking but, no, everything was fine… right?

He just knew the blonde person tried to fight to keep others safe when wounded, but most attempts ended with people turning against them like they were the cause of all their problems. They couldn’t help people who wanted to hurt them, right? They already got wounded enough time because they often raised their weapons.

They were tired of being there, tired of everything, if they were trapped there perhaps they could at least rest until time finally caught up with them… right?   
  
Sidon nodded, the only nuisance would be eventual guests, but those were temporary enough not to worry about them. Wait…

“Then why are you worried about me?”  
  
The person with blonde hair shook his head, sighing.   
  
“I guess it’s nice to talk with someone, even if you’ll not last long.”   
  
“What about you?”   
  
“I will stay here until the end of time.”   
  
Waiting, sleeping and letting time pass. Sidon pitied them even if he didn’t know why they were being punished. Perhaps it didn’t even matter, being a prisoner of monsters was more than anyone deserved. The florist’s eyes widened as soon as the realization fully hit.   
  
“Wait, you’re not this place’s owner, you’re a guest like me!”   
  
A guest who never wanted to go there, nor had any voice in what the place’s true owners did. The florist bit his lips and he tried to reach for Link, but the sudden movement only made him gasp in pain and had the world turn dark around him.

One second he was sitting on a balcony, the one immediately after he was back in Link’s bedroom, suddenly awake. He blinked a couple of times before turning his head in the direction where Link was still sleeping with his knife in hand.

Did he just… was that a dream or did some kind of magic let them speak to each other, even if just for a brief moment? No, he was probably just too tired and in pain, his mind probably wandered by itself and attempted to give that weird place a parvence of sense. 

Yet, as soon as he turned around once more, he realized that room had the only surviving painting of the whole castle and it represented the same woman he saw in his dream.


	5. Winter in the Domain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: winter in the Domain

Sidon lost track of time as he tried to recover from his wound. Link rarely left him alone, only giving him space when the florist needed to use the night vase (He missed having proper toilets) or when it was time to fetch food for both of them. 

It was so strange to see the silent master of the house, a person who in the legends was described almost like a fae, be so attentive to his health. Sidon had so many questions, but while he pitied the other… he also had to focus on the problem at hand.

Sidon decided to ask for the other person’s help one night after dinner, they both reached for paper and the scribbling commenced. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was worth trying to teach the other how to read, at least to increase their common ground. Link’s drawings were a mess, had no proportions and absurd poses, sometimes it was hard to decipher them.

“Well, it doesn’t matter for now.” His words caught the other’s attention, even if Link couldn’t understand him. “Have you ever seen one of those?”  
  
The florist pushed under Link’s nose a drawing of those metallic spiders guarding the trial’s main hall and the owner- no, the fellow prisoner- frowned, nodding.

“Custos.”

Custos, that’s how he called them, huh? Sidon took the piece of paper back and added a corridor around the figure and then a sketch of himself trying to pass it. He saw hesitation painted on Link’s face, like he had an answer but he didn’t quite want to offer it, then the man got up and reached under his bed, taking two swords out of it. Still with hesitation, Link held up one, offering it to Sidon.

Oh, dear, he never used a single weapon before and that thing looked heavy. How was he even supposed to fight with it? The other probably noticed his worry because they pointed to themselves, then the second sword and finally touched Sidon’s chest.

Were they suggesting… no… oh, if only he knew how to ask in latin if they were planning to teach him. But they lacked words and if Link had any idea on what to do… Sidon needed to know.

In the end, his answer was a yes.

\- - -

It had been weeks since Sidon moved into the castle, probably, and he knew Mipha had only a few months of life left. Every second felt wasted if he wasn’t actively trying to get to his goal, but despite various attempts he still couldn’t pass the many guardians present in the shrine. 

A large scar on his side was there to remind him how dangerous those things could be and even if Link was training him in combat… he still lacked the confidence and the skill required to either sneak past them or best the machines in battle.

A progress had been made, though, and it was how him and Link communicated with each other. Sidon had the luck to find a dictionary in the library and that allowed them to work out their differences, at least a little bit. Translating a single word of his language or vice versa could often allow them to share concepts and, while most of what they shared was about food or combat, it was nice starting to have the possibility to actually talk to each other.

Gestures were still important for them, though, more than anything written or said. It was with exaggerated gestures about a spoon decorated with a horse head that Sidon realized the other absolutely adored those animals, no matter how long they had been without one. It was re-enacting a transition with some dry flowers and some old coins that the florist explained to Link what his job was about. It was strange not being able to chat like always, yes, but Sidon was getting fond of their special way to speak to each other.

He had to admit he enjoyed the other’s company, even if the fact they were the only two people in the castle helped bring them closer.

And, man, Link was determined to help him for some reason. Perhaps the other was just thrilled to have company, who knew? Link was an incredibly skilled swordsman, something about being a knight in the past, and training with him was thrilling. Link made them wooden swords after teaching Siddon some postures and they had been sparring since the florist had been able to get out of bed.

It was almost fascinating to see them practice, it was almost like watching someone practice a dangerous and elaborated dance. Every single movement of them had a purpose, every step was something that had been clearly practiced thousands of times, whenever they moved to hit a mannequin Sidon felt himself glued to the sight. Were all people from the past good with swords like that? For someone wearing a robe twice their size, Link was incredibly nimble and fast. How they managed not to get their hair tangled with everything was a mystery.

The first now surprised them in the garden and, instead of moving back inside, the two kept practicing as the overgrown garden started to be covered in white. The next day, when a storm hit, both practiced through the palace’s hallways much to the korok’s amusement. 

Winter was what truly settled some kind of routine between them: in the morning, when it was too dark and cold, the two would meet in the library and work together to understand each other better, lunch followed, then Sidon changed in more comfortable clothes and they fought until they were too exhausted to continue. Or, well, the florist was, Link never seemed to run out of energy. 

The best moment? Definitely when, after figuring out how to explain to Link that he had a sister and she needed his help, the other made it clear time didn’t flow normally in there. Or at least that was what the florist understood from how the other kept drawing clocks around the castle and ripping the paper apart.  
  
If that was true, then Mipha truly stood a chance and that allowed him to take his time. In a certain sense Sidon didn’t even want to leave that strange person behind, not when it was clear Link was a victim of circumstances themselves. They still adamantly refused to speak of their past wife, Link only seemed surprised when Sidon asked them about her, but he had seen enough in his dream to tell something horrible happened back in the days.

He was supposed to be fed to the forest, huh? Fed to the Koroks, perhaps? Or whatever lived in that place? The answer was yes, he found out one lazy and cold morning by drawing one of the little wooden monsters and then pointing at Link’s sleeve. After some hesitation the other nodded, shrugging.   
  
That was life for him, apparently, surviving in a place where those creatures were drawn to the scent of blood and asked people to face difficult trials in the name of a wish. 

“Couldn’t you take the trials yourself? You’re skilled with a sword and fast with a bow, I can’t see you struggling…” he admitted, well aware Link couldn’t understand him. 

Perhaps they weren’t allowed to? Or perhaps their wish couldn’t come true? He didn’t know and it honestly didn’t matter as the days kept growing colder. 

Mornings were still spent learning about each other when Sidon introduced Link to the concept of Christmas (It was weird, one morning a giant tree was just… there, in the middle of the ballroom, waiting for them to be decorated.), when Link managed to show him how he used to cook for himself (flat food, very bland, Sidon preferred his own dishes.) or when Sidon and Link started making progress in reading together. 

Link was still incredibly slow at reading, but having some latin books in the library helped a lot, even if Sidon couldn’t understand a single word. They practiced writing together, they spent time reading to each other (Weird, Sidon’s heart skipped a beat when Link started laughing at his terrible pronunciation.), overall he… liked that?

“I will miss you, friend.”  
  
Broken time or not, someday he was going to leave the other behind and, while it was hard admitting it to himself, he was going to miss Link. The probably old, fae-like person who always had the same dark robe and cloak, the person who still knew how to be fascinated by the smallest things and, despite being left to survive by himself didn’t completely close their heart.

  
It was a warm and cozy winter for both of them, but when spring finally came Sidon also knew it was time for him to move on. He could finally parry most of Link’s attacks and the other made it clear the florist was ready to face the next trial.   
  
With the snow starting to melt, Sidon dared to kiss the top of Link’s head (his absolutely confused face was adorable) and walked away. It was time to face the trial’s guardians once more.


	6. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 : home

It was difficult, but Sidon was slowly making progress. Even with Link’s training, every little guardian he met inside the trial was a true challenge and the puzzles the Koroks threw in his face were more and more difficult. 

Many puzzles involved the use of what Link called runes, those were generally the easiest ones since all the florist had to do was to focus on how to use ice, bombs or what was needed to proceed. It generally required time, lots of effort, but those were doable. The worst shrines were undoubtedly the ‘tests of strength’; he got hurt again countless times while attempting those and Link had to patch him multiple times. It was just him, one of those hellish machines and nothing else but his sword and some runes.

Link now always waited for him whenever he entered a shrine, mostly sitting by with medical tools ready and with warm clothes, just in case the trial involved the use of water. It was... a true solace in that situation. Sidon couldn't really imagine being trapped in a castle like that and not having even the slightest amount of company. He was lucky enough to have that fae-like presence at his side and that kept him going.

It was hard to admit it, but he was growing fond of his companion. It was something he was afraid to accept, but he truly enjoyed their time together and, well, if not for Mipha he would have considered staying there longer. Link was brilliant in many ways, curious and, let's admit it, beautiful. That last part was probably the jar he didn't want to open, he was growing interested in his host and that could only be a problem. Oh, well...

What worried Sidon was the fact that the other often seemed to know what was waiting for the florist in the dungeons but always refused to say why, even when their ability to interact with each other got better. Was Link just able to see in the future? After all it wasn't unusual for them to share dreams (even if they now always were in Sidon's world, not Link's) and it was safe to assume they had some kind of special power. Did Link attempt the trials themselves?

The scars on their bodies suggested to Sidon that, yes, Link also faced the guardians more than once. He did get to see them change, after all, and while some of the marks on their skin were from bites and scratches (the Koroks?), the rest was thin and from a perfect slice, the exact sign those damn blue blades left. The more the other avoided comments about himself, the more Sidon found himself wondering and struggling with the fact that he was going to abandon Link sooner or later.

"If it wasn't for my sister, I may consider staying." He finally admitted to Link one evening as they were mixing together milk and cocoa for a warm drink. Food was something the other seemed to enjoy deeply, even because his bland dishes couldn't usually compare with the luxuries of Sidon's time. They didn't enjoy mixing flavors, though, nor any kind of food under Jello. It was still adorable to see them light up whenever they discovered something new they liked. Sidon, on the other hand, was learning to appreciate wine from them. 

Indeed, Link had a passion for Alcohol, even if they seemed unaffected by it. From what Sidon managed to understand, back in Link's days water wasn't truly safe to drink and mead was an easy solution not to poison yourself, they grew with that stuff and now that Sidon's presence brought in fancier drinks... they were truly enjoying themselves with it. Sidon could only drink a glass before feeling dizzy, Link emptied bottles on a daily basis without any struggle. 

"Someday you will have to teach me your secret, friend."

Link replied with a sentence in his own language, the florist only recognized the words used to say 'good friend' but missed the whole rest. He shook his head, raising a glass full of water, the other raised their own and the two cheered together while resting on the couch.

Sidon enjoyed how familiar it all felt. He had known Link for a few months (probably, it was hard to keep track of time), yet it also felt like they had known each other forever. Link felt like... home? The florist found himself wondering if it wasn't just the isolation speaking for him, yet he couldn't help but feel weak for that person. 

It was the small things that made his days better: having their fingers play with his hair and braiding them, having Link hum songs from his time and world, seeing them smile... was that what being charmed by a fairy was like? The more time passed, the more Sidon felt attracted to them in a way that he couldn't quite put into words. It was nice having a routine, being the one who returned home to find someone waiting with a warm stew instead of being the one welcoming his sister after a long day at work.

He didn't want to complain about Mipha, mind you, he loved his sister dearly and the proof was the simple fact that he ended in the forest in the first place, but at the same time…

There was something warm in sharing the house with someone he was starting to... to... no. There was nothing to say there, they were just friends and couldn't be more, could they? Yet Sidon's heart melted a little each time the other smiled or laughed, no matter how silly the thing could be, and doing normal things with them felt special. How many times did he dance with his friends? Yet after explaining to Link what a radio was and finding out his dancing skill wasn't limited to the battlefield, the two started moving together under the stars and Sidon could only gulp in marvel.

Link's hands were covered in calluses, yet warm and pleasant to the touch. Their blue eyes were beautiful and deep like the ocean. When the music slowed down and the other wrapped their arms around Sidon's frame, leaning in, the florist was almost afraid his heart would burst. Beautiful, they were beautiful. Even when the last notes died out, they were still between each other's arm, neither wanting to leave. Sidon needed to leave and he knew that, but...

"My friend, I'm falling for you."

"Mh?"

"I know, I know..." He passed his hands between the long, blonde hair and felt Link shiver under his touch. "I wish you could just keep me down to Earth, I feel like you're quite the no-nonsense person, yet you probably don't even know what I'm talking about..."

No reply came, Link was merely looking up in his direction with a strange gleam in their eyes. Before Sidon had the opportunity to lower his head and press his lips against theirs, Link took a step back, shaking his head and sighing. Wait… he assumed they also wanted… was he reading their body language wrong?

There was a long moment of silence between them, then Link simply left.

\- - -

He had to let a Korok drink his blood to have answers.

Link started to avoid him the morning after their dance and the house felt empty without him. There were no more mornings spent relaxing together in the library, no more meals shared in front of a warm fire, just silence and isolation. Link was back in his room, locked inside most of the time, and Sidon was forced to handle his trials alone. Even if he had the skills needed to face them, he lacked part of the usual motivation and that was equally bad.   
  
To understand the knight better, he agreed to be a Korok’s little meal for once: the little creature was still sucking blood on his arm when Sidon posed his question.

“Why is he acting like this?”   
  
_ “Shakala, because you’re soon going to leave, one way or another.”   
_   
So Link was also afraid to lose him? Before he could ask anything else, the Korok took another gulp of blood and continued talking.   
  
_ “And because, unlike yours, his wish cannot be granted.”   
_   
The florist blinked. Link also had a wish?

“So I was right, he challenged the trials as well…”   
  
_ “Oh, no no, he completed them! All of them, Yaha! But he’s our prisoner, he can’t wish his own freedom, shakala!”   
_   
That- that was all Sidon needed to know, what Link actually desired! He bit his lips, forcing the creature to let go and starting to walk back toward the palace. Link couldn’t wish himself free, but he still had a desire to see granted and Sidon was going to get a chance to ask for something as well.   
  
Perhaps, and that was a foolish plan, he could ask for Link to be free and have that person ask for Mipha to be better… right? He needed to talk with the other as soon as possible, after all he couldn’t imagine going home without them.   
  
Mostly because Link _ was  _ home, now.


	7. Voice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 7 - Voice

The single most difficult thing in Sidon's plan was sharing it with Link. Not only they didn't speak the same language, the other was actively avoiding the florist and basically living like a recluse in his room. He attempted everything: knocking at the door, climbing the wall outside to try to enter from the window, he called, he tried to sneak paper pieces under the door... nothing seemed to get the other person's attention. 

In the end, Sidon decided to focus entirely on his task, he could try to speak with Link after completing his trials and unlocking his chance to have a wish granted. Everything was rough without the other's help, Sidon got hurt multiple times in the process and he had to tend to his own wounds in order to survive. Where was Link's gentle touch? Where his indications and suggestions? He never fully realized how much those mattered until he was left without.

"But I can't give up..."

He had to lock himself in his room as well to be safe from the Koroks whenever he bled, sometimes even being forced to rest inside his own wardrobe when he felt creatures crawling inside. He had to consume meals alone, the music didn't feel as charming now that he had no one to dance with and as summer arrived he fully realized why Link's body was covered in scars: facing the trials alone was hell, the Koroks didn't lie about it.

The most frustrating part was how no matter how long and silently Sidon stalked the other person's room, that fae that was Link... never opened the door. Not to eat, not to take care of his physical needs, nothing. The whole thing was silent and completely locked down. He even bothered to get the latin dictionary again, he tried to apologize for almost kissing them, but no reply came. 

“This is frustrating, my friend.”

Sidon knocked on the door one last time before pushing away from it. He was going to see his trials done and then let Link know they had a plan. It was going to work out, somehow, right?

The last shrines were even worse than the precedent ones, taking out an incredible toll on him as Sidon kept fighting. One of them had him use a piece of cloth to fly between guardians and reach his destination in what was basically a glide of faith between light beams. In one of them a wall suddenly fell down to reveal a whole squadron of scouts and the only reason he didn't die was because the florist had ben quick enough to hide himself behind a column of ice. Not to mention the horrible ones where he had to use his magnetic tool to move around electrified blocks, a true nightmare.

Still, he persevered despite the indifference of Link and the warmth of summer days. Occasionally he was almost sure he saw the other in the distance, either walking in the forest or sitting by a pond, but whenever he dared to approach the person disappeared almost like a dream. Was that place tricking him? It didn't matter. His new routine was training in the morning, eating, then entering the shrines in the afternoon and attending his own wounds as soon as he left.

It was exhausting, repetitive, but it also was the only way out that didn't involve abandoning everything he fought for and condemning his sister to a long, painful death.

He ended up losing track of time as the season changed around him once more, leaves turning red and orange... had it really been a full summer? Somehow he felt like the other was right when they said time was broken in that place. The only hints of Link's presence were medicines and painkillers occasionally appearing in Sidon's rooms (herbs, mostly), books being moved around in the library and food missing from the fridge (He really enjoyed bananas, huh?). 

Oh, how he missed their company. If anything, their distance made Sidon realize how much he was going to miss them if he dared to leave them behind but no, no attempt of contacting Link brought any result. Why were they even so adamant in avoiding the florist? Did they return his feelings and didn't want to accept it? Were they afraid Sidon would leave them? The florist could only hope.

With no intention to stop and give up, the other entered the next shrine only to be informed it was his final trial. A 'major test of strength', apparently. He gulped nervously, if the previous tests of that kind were any indication of what was awaiting him, he wasn't eager to face his enemy.

The battle itself was as difficult as expected: the... thing had three arms and each one held a weapon, dodging everything was a nightmare and even harder it was keeping track of its movement. Sidon had to lift up pillars of metal whenever the machine prepared a spinning attack, he barely had time to take his breath when the guardian stopped to do his laser attack on the floor, but for the rest... it was a nightmare. 

Its attacks were quick and more than once the blue blades brushed against his skin, opening cuts and making Sidon's blood splatter on the floor. He needed to endure this, he had to survive, the florist refused to become another victim of that place. He had a sister to save and a loved one to bring out of that mess, there was no room for failure.

The man didn't know how long the battle lasted, nor how many wounds were now on his body, his brain mostly registered the beginning of the battle and then stopped focusing on the deadly dance only when the machine suddenly stopped, collapsing on the side. Short of breath and stepping in puddles of his own blood, the man reached the exit of the shrine barely able to drag himself. 

It was done, he now just had to... to...

His whole body collapsed before he could properly take a couple of steps on the grass, everything was pain and the world was spinning around him. It was the end, wasn't it? To think he came so close to ask the spirits to... heal his sister or save the man he had feelings for? Oh, if only he had a chance to speak with them again. But no, he could already see shadows crawl on the side and he lacked the strength to move away.

He was done for, wasn't he? Sidon closed his eyes, not even having the energy left to speak. How, when his vision was blurry and his mouth filled with the taste of his own blood? He barely heard the sound of steps hurrying close, he barely felt thin arms being wrapped around his frame and lifting him up, yet he heard Link yell something. He felt droplets of water on his face, was the other person crying? It didn't matter anymore, before Sidon could say anything, everything went black.

\- - - 

When Sidon opened his eyes, he was at home. His sister was making coffee and, with a quick glance at the calendar, he knew he was back on the same day he left home more than a year ago. His body was... fine? All his scars were gone but one, the single wound Link personally tended in the beginning and confirmed him the whole time in the castle had not been a dream.

His sister was fine, though, she was only confused when he questioned her about her illness. She had never been sick, according to her... and it was almost after a whole dayof confusion and questions that he finally understood what probably happened: like he was hoping to use his wish to help Link, the other had to do the same for him, asking to bring him home and save his sister. 

"He burnt his only wish for me..." he told his sister, suddenly rushing to grab his things once more. He needed to find the palace again.

"What are you talking about, now, Sidon?"

"I have to go."

He kissed his sister's cheek before rushing away, barely listening to her worried complains. Who was going to take care of the shop for the day? He had no idea and didn't care, the flower shop wasn't as important in finding his beloved once more. It was almost a rush between jumping on other people's carriages and running on land, but in less than three days he was back at the entrance of the forest with renewed determination.

even double checking his supplies, the man was running between the trees, getting lost in the mist without fear: he knew the forest, he knew how to fight and he needed to find Link again. The place seemed to reject him, though, bringing him back to its entrance over and over, only making the florist increasing frustrated with it.

"You know I completed my trials, forest!" He finally found himself yelling. "So now let me see him again, because you know what my wish is, don't you?"

Not even birds dared to chirp in that place, and at some point the mist simply dissipated again. He stepped forward without any hesitation, magically finding himself in the very familiar garden where he spent so long in. It was spring now, huh? How peculiar, considering it was fall in the outside world. That didn't matter, though, his attention was immediately captured by the owner of the- no, the lonely prisoner of that place. 

Link was standing there, still wrapped in their cloak and with an unreadable expression on their face.

"Oh, my friend, I-"

"Why are you back?"

Sidon blinked. Link was now speaking... his language? How?

"You... understand me, now?"

"I had time to practice.... why did you come back, Sidon?"

Of course, who knew how long it had been for Link.   
  
Sidon shook his head, they could discuss that later, for now only one thing mattered. He smiled widely, running at the other person's side and wrapping his arms around their frame without shame or hesitation. They could talk to each other, it was fantastic, and even if he didn't mind trying to express himself with gestures and drawings.... it was great to be able to express his feelings properly, now.

"Because someone gave me their wish, of course." He commented between laughter, glad that the other wasn't rejecting that closeness. "And because I completed my trial as well, so I have a wish of my own."

He felt Link stiffen just a little and Sidon proceeded to kiss the top of his head.

"And... what do you want?"

Sidon laughed, lifting Link up and beaming in his direction. There was one thing he still wanted, now, and he was more than ready to bring it home.

"You."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THE END OF THIS LITTLE, SHORT STORY. Imagine they kissed and lived happily ever after!


End file.
